DSWD-7 seeks P165-M relief augmentation

By Precie Catherine C. Cuarto

Wednesday 7th of March 2012

QUEZON CITY, Mar. 7 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Negros Oriental has requested for disaster relief assistance augmentation amounting to P165 million.

The 6.9-magnitude earthquake that jolted the province last February affected 59,785 families or 292,684 persons. DSWD figures indicate that 1,969 families are still in evacuation centers.

With a considerably great number of homeless families, DSWD Secretary Corazon J. Soliman said the P165,420,620-augmentation fund will be allotted for the rehabilitation program, particularly for core shelter programs in various damaged areas.

Soliman said largest number of victims are in Guihulngan City where there are 21,790 families affected. The town of Tayasan also recorded a total of 10,545 affected families.

There were 2,645 totally damaged houses, while partially damaged houses are totalled 9,757.

DSWD tents were set up in schools and on other safe grounds as temporary shelters of families in Guihulngan, La Libertad, Jimalalud, Tayasan, and Ayungon. Five tents were used by the Department of Health Regional Office VII to provide a mini-hospital in Guihulngan.

UNICEF and World Food Organization have donated tents which are serving as temporary classrooms, day care centers, and barangay centers.

Further, Soliman said DSWD’s Cash for Work Program provided Php10,021,537.50 to the DSWD Field Office VII for 4,381 families in order to give early recovery for victims-survivors.

The DSWD also scheduled psycho-social processing of victim-survivors and bereaved families. On March 6 to 9, formal critical incident stress debriefing sessions will be conducted by Field Office’ trained debriefers for families with missing or dead loved ones, and damaged houses.

On March 6 to 13, Fr. Arnold Abelardo together with 20 nurses from the Philippine Orthopedic Center and Pastoral Care Services will as well provide debriefing sessions and health care services to affected families at the Guihulngan National National High School evacuation centers.

Based on data, total cost of relief assistance provided by DSWD totalled to P24,514,964.33, while LGU doled out P11,550,781.55, and non-government and other government organizations have donated P19,490,744.45.

Soliman was guest in today’s edition of Communication and News Exchange Forum held at the Philippine Information Agency. (RDA/PCCC/PIA-GHQ)